Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to airbags, and, more particularly, to airbags configured to prevent (or otherwise reduce) the occurrence of injuries when an airbag cushion is deployed.
Discussion of the Background
Conventional airbags may be classified into various types according to a mounting position of the airbags in, for example, a transportation vehicle. An airbag is typically configured to protect (or otherwise reduce injuries to) an occupant of the transportation vehicle during an accident, such as a vehicular collision. It is noted that the airbag may include an airbag cushion, which may be rapidly inflated via high-pressure gas at a time of the accident, to cushion impact forces transferred to the occupant of the transportation vehicle during the accident. An airbag may be classified as, for example, a driver airbag configured to protect a driver of the transportation vehicle or a passenger airbag configured to protect a passenger in a front passenger seat of the transportation vehicle. Traditionally, driver airbags are mounted in a steering wheel, whereas passenger airbags are installed in a crash pad typically disposed in front of the front passenger seat.
To reduce a localized and relatively excessive impact force from the airbag cushion to, for example, the head of an occupant of the transportation vehicle when the occupant is abnormally seated (e.g., seated out of traditional seating positions), the airbag may utilize a low risk deployment (LRD) flap or other deployment structure similar to the LRD flap. The LRD flap will be, hereinafter, referred to as simply a flap. Typically, the flap may be folded together with the airbag cushion and configured to surround (or otherwise engulf) the head of the occupant as the airbag cushion is deployed and the head comes in contact with the airbag cushion. It is noted, however, that in conventional airbags incorporating such flaps, although the flap is to be spread as the airbag cushion is deployed, the flap may nonetheless protrude from the airbag in a folded, e.g., non-spread, state. In this manner, the flap may not surround the head of the occupant, and, as such, the occupant may surfer otherwise unnecessary injuries.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventive concept, and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.